Backplate assemblies can accommodate multiple lamps and are used, for example, in tail lights of automobiles or other vehicles. A backplate assembly allows efficient preassembly of an automobile lamp assembly. The lamp assembly can then be installed as a single unit into a vehicle under construction and electrically connected to the wiring harness of the vehicle using a single connector socket.
One type of backplate assembly includes two substantially rigid panels. The panels include apertures which are aligned with each other. Conductors are disposed between the panels and include contact pads which extend into the apertures. The panels are interconnected so that the conductors are sealed between the panels and only the contact pads are exposed to the exterior of the backplate assembly. Multiple lamp socket assemblies may be inserted into the apertures of the backplate assembly. The backplate assembly, including the lamp socket assemblies, may be attached to a lighting assembly, such as a tail light lens, of a motor vehicle.
The dimensions of backplate assemblies may vary between car models to accommodate the dimensions of the lighting assembly of the car in which the backplate assembly is installed. For example, in some cars, one lamp socket assembly in the backplate assembly will be on a different plane relative to another lamp socket assembly in the same backplate assembly.